


Upside down and inside out

by blackm00n5



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Multi, no longer a slave au, rewritten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-29 12:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5126960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackm00n5/pseuds/blackm00n5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy has been raised as an heiress her entire life. But when her father's business suddenly goes under, he sends her off to work so he can get her paycheck. It isn't all bad, though. There's Mira with her sisterly nature and warm eyes, Levy with her friendly smile and the master of the estate, Igneel, who seems intent on helping Lucy as best he can.</p><p>And then there's Natsu, who burst into her world in a whirlwind of golden eyes and bright smiles. </p><p>But all is not well on the Dragneel estate. There are lies that have been told for so long, they've become truth and the darker master, Acnologia, is not keen on seeing his hard work go to waste.</p><p>NOTE: This fic has been entirely revamped, and is no longer a slave AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Dragneel Estate

**Author's Note:**

> I would just like to throw a gigantic thank you to hiyori-s on tumblr! She's been my beta for this fic and has been one of the biggest helps I have ever had! Thanks, Sarah! I love you<33

'Do as you're told.'

That was the last thing Lucy heard from her father before she was pulled away by men twice her size, shoved too roughly into the back of a carriage with her small bag of clothing and clutching her mother's necklace. She stared out the window of the carriage as it pulled away, but her father was already climbing into his own carriage. Not looking back. Lucy wanted to call out, beg him to keep them from taking her. But she knew it was useless. He had sent her away like she meant nothing, given her up as easily as one would throw away their trash.

That was the first time Lucy ever hated her father.

Even as she stood in the massive greeting hall to the Dragneel estate, jaw clenched and staring harshly at the floor, her only thought was anger. That hatred burning in her soul, the pure rage completely overshadowing the fear and hurt that bubbled low in her stomach. It was easier to focus on the anger, easier to cling to the hate than to the fear. She didn't know what was going to happen to her, but the thought may have simply encouraged her rage. Her father hadn't known, either. He'd only seen how much she was worth, only seen the glint of the gold being offered in exchange for her work.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Welcome to the Dragneel estate." A voice broke into her thoughts and Lucy looked up from the floor for the first time since getting into the damn carriage two days ago.

The older gentleman standing in front of Lucy was short, a firm face but gentle eyes. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, standing straight up. Lucy nodded once, though she didn't exactly feel welcome. The man shooed the men still standing by Lucy with a glare, very nearly hissing at them when they took too long to leave. Once the men left, the man bowed his head to Lucy and she couldn't help but be mildly amused by the old man.

"I am Master Makarov. I teach the young warriors. “ The smile faded and his eyes narrowed before continuing. “It seems I'm also in charge of greeting new comers." He shook his head and smiled once more. "I can show you to your quarters. Mirajane will probably end up giving you a tour."

Lucy followed the old man silently, hand moving up to clutch at her mother's necklace once more. She glanced around as she walked, taking in the large estate. The main building seemed to be detached from the worker's quarters, and even the kitchen was cut off from the main house. Lucy felt her lips press into a thin line as she was brought to one of the buildings, smaller but no less beautiful than the main house. Makarov didn't enter the building, instead gesturing to the door then turning to go back to the main house. With a sigh, Lucy gathered her courage and pushed the door open.

The first thing Lucy saw in the entry way of the building was a pretty young lady with silver hair, humming to herself as she swept the floor. The girl looked up when she heard the door, and a smile lit up her face. She placed her broom against the wall and went to greet Lucy, throwing her arms around her in a hug. Lucy blinked in surprise, arms tentatively returning the embrace.

"Lucy? My name is Mirajane! It's a pleasure to meet you." The girl said as she pulled away, head cocking to the side as she smiled. Lucy smiled back.

"Yeah, I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you, too." She answered, shifting her weight back and forth.

Mirajane grabbed Lucy's wrist and gently tugged her along through the hallway instead of answering. She stopped finally near the end of the hallway, knocking once on the door as she pushed it open. There were two beds, each pressed up against either wall, though there wasn't much space between the two beds. Sitting on one bed was a short young lady, blue hair pushed out of her face with a headband and legs crossed under her as she examined the books spread out in front of her.

"Levy, this is Lucy." Mira introduced, and the girl looked up. A smile touched her lips and Levy pushed her glasses up to rest on her head instead of on her face.

"Hi! I'm sorry about the mess. I ended up with the smaller room because it was just me." She winced slightly, gesturing to the small room they had to share. Lucy shook her head, moving tentatively to settle on what she assumed was her bed.

"My bedroom at home was usually a mess." She answered, throat tightening as she said it.  Levy and Mira let their eyes meet and Mira took both of Lucy's hands in her own.

"So what do you know about the estate?" She asked, putting on a bright smile. Lucy forced her own smile, knowing that the older girl was trying to distract her.

"I know that generations ago, the Dragneel's and the Cheney's created a group of soldiers and now their descendants learn the fighting out of tradition?" She offered, brows furrowing in thought. Mira hummed, nodding. She pulled her skirt up a bit so she could step over some books on the floor and settled on Levy's bed.

"Yup. They're all very talented. You should see Laxus when he's practicing." Mira sighed, hand resting over her heart as she leaned down on the other hand. Levy giggled, and Lucy couldn't help but let her own small giggle slip out. Waving her hand as if waving the thought away, Mira popped back up to her feet.

“Come on, Lucy. I’ll give you a tour.” She announced, taking Lucy’s hand.

The estate was far larger than Lucy had anticipated. The main building had a U shape, three floors and a large courtyard between two of the sections of house. Mira seemed to know every nook and cranny of the main building, waving to different workers as they passed them and pointing out different things. Which step on the back staircase was loose, which bannisters had been repaired and how many times. Lucy was amazed at how much Mira seemed to know. How long had she been there?

It was easy enough to keep up with Mirajane’s explanations, which buildings were which and who worked where. The library was the second largest building, aside from the main house, and Lucy stared in awe at it. The building was old, possibly the oldest on the estate. Intricate dragon carvings curled up along the main archway. Two stone dragon heads sat on either end of the staircase, fires burning from seemingly nothing in their open mouths. The stairs glimmered in the sun, a smooth black stone that shimmered when the light hit it. Lucy gaped, tentatively reaching to touch the snout of the dragon nearest her.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mira’s voice cut through the silence and Lucy blinked in surprise, as if she had forgotten the other girl was there.

“Yeah...it looks old... “ She murmured, eyes wide as she examined the intricately carved dragon, made of the same black stone as the stairs. Mirajane nodded.

“It is. It was built by the first generation of Dragon Slayers. The top floor is restricted to the Slayers. Resources about their history and their traditions. Stuff like that.”  She brushed her own hand over the dragon’s snout, smiling slightly. “The rest of the library is open to everyone, though. Levy works in there so if you ever want to take a book, you need to talk to her.”

Lucy nodded absently, still trailing her fingers over the dragon head. The scales were each carved carefully into the stone, eyes glowing with what looked like rubies. Or maybe garnets. Lucy couldn’t quite tell. She hovered her hand by the flame, feeling her hand tingle from the heat. Her brows furrowed a bit as she examined the flame, trying to see what was fueling it. She turned to look at Mira when a gentle hand touched her shoulder and Mira gestured with her head for Lucy to follow her.

The kitchen was closest to the main house, and Mira guided Lucy through it quickly. The workers ate at a small dining area attached to the kitchen, mismatched chairs surrounding a few long tables. A few people who’s names Lucy wasn’t given were seated around it, cards spread in front of them and in their hands. Mira waved to them pleasantly as she passed through, and they all greeted her without looking up from their game.

Lucy turned to Mira to say something, but all memory of what it was she planned on saying left her when a shadow fell over her and Mira. She looked up to see a strongly built man standing there, arms behind his back and his red tie loosened. His smile was friendly enough, but there was something unnerving about the man. As if he were far more dangerous than he was letting on.

“Lucy Heartfilia, I assume?” He asked, voice seemingly vibrating from deep in his chest. Lucy opened her mouth to answer, and nodded when no sound came out. The man bowed his head to her.

“Igneel Dragneel.” He offered. He gave a friendly grin. “You’re welcome to laugh. My mother did not think my name through.” He added, and Mira gave a pleasant hum of laughter. Igneel turned to the older girl, bowing his head to her as well.

“Hello, Master. I’m glad to see your meeting didn’t take up your whole morning.” She greeted, giving a small curtsey. Igneel shook his head, scoffing.

“I’ve told you time and time again, Mirajane. There’s no need to call me master. You work here, that doesn’t make you a slave.” He said before returning his attention back to Lucy. “Come to my study, Miss Heartfilia. I’d like to speak with you.”

* * *

The study that Igneel - as he insisted on being called - brought Lucy to was a library in it’s own right. Three of the four walls were lined with bookshelves, each brimming with leather bound books accented with silver and gold. A dragon’s head, much like the ones in front of the library, was mounted above the center of the window, large wings spreading out on either side, carved into the wall. 

Igneel watched Lucy with an odd quirk to his lips, something that may have been amusement, as she stepped into the study. He allowed her a moment to examine the room before gesturing to the plush seat across from his desk. Lucy sat on the edge of the seat, heart beating harshly in the base of her throat. Igneel went to lean back on the desk, facing Lucy with his hands casually pressed into his pockets. It was silent for a long moment, the nerves bubbling in Lucy’s stomach, before Igneel sighed.

“I hate this arrangement.” He stated, shaking his head. “I hate that you’re brought here to be one of our workers, but your payment must go to your father. But, that’s how it has to be. And I will treat you with the same amount of respect I expect in return. “

“Thank you, sir.” Lucy said, bowing her head. Her father expected her to behave, to keep his name good. When he got his business back up - and Lucy had no doubt he would - he couldn’t afford to have a bad reputation. Igneel waved a hand as if brushing the title away.

“Please, call me Igneel.” He insisted, and Lucy felt her ears flush a bit. “My goal in bringing you here is to teach you. You are a strong young lady and I’m hoping that being here will teach you to be even stronger. To care for yourself in any way you may need. “

For the first time since Lucy had been dragged from her home, she felt at ease. This man seemed genuine, like he cared about everyone working for him and it made it easy for her to relax. She offered a smile, her shoulders relaxing finally. Her hand moved up to clasp around the chain at her neck once more, thumb rubbing over the golden charm.

“However,” Igneel continued, and Lucy’s thumb stalled. “My...associate, Acnologia, does not share this sentiment. Acnologia believes he’s better than those working for us. I would advise you to avoid him, when you can.”

She fully intended on answering, though what she was actually going to say, she didn’t know. But, before she had the chance to say anything, to thank this man for doing what he could to help her and warning her about Acnologia, the large double doors to the study burst open. Lucy jerked in surprise, gasping slightly. Igneel, however, seemed completely unfazed, and he glanced up with a raised brow at the young man who rushed into the room.

“Dad! Dad, I took Laxus down!” The young man announced, laughing loudly as he pumped his fists into the air. “You should have seen it! I totally kicked his ass!”

Igneel smiled fondly, brow still raised as he watched the young man bounce around excitedly. He finally shook his head, striding over to place a large hand on top of his son’s pink head and ruffle his hair. The boy just smiled wider, eyes crinkling at the corners as he pressed into the hand.

“I’m proud of you, Natsu.” He hummed, voice softer than it had been while talking to Lucy.

Natsu opened his mouth to answer, still nearly vibrating with excitement. Before any sound came out, those eyes that were more gold than brown landed on Lucy and the energy seemed to stall. His eyes widened, mouth still open as if about to speak. He stepped around his father slowly, head tilting as he moved closer to Lucy, and she nearly squeaked, tensing right back up. Her own eyes widened, not quite afraid so much as unsure. Natsu stopped a short distance from her, head still tilted and eyes examining Lucy thoroughly.  

“Excuse you!” Lucy snapped, hands clenching up. “My eyes are up here!”  Natsu’s gaze snapped back to her eyes and he smiled at her.

“Hi! You’re new here. I’m Natsu.” He offered his hand to her, and Lucy hesitated before taking it.

“Lucy.” She answered, giving a small smile in return.

Natsu’s hand kept a firm grip on Lucy’s, those eerily golden eyes looking too deeply into her own. She gently pulled her hand back, and Natsu instantly released his hold and laughed sheepishly, hand scratching at the back of his head. He took a step back, giving Lucy more space, and placed his hands on his hips. Puffing his chest out a little as if trying to show off. A tiny smile, almost a smirk, twitched at Lucy’s lips. Both stayed silent for a long moment, an awkward tension building in Lucy that she couldn’t sense coming from Natsu.

“Miss Heartfilia, this is my oldest son.” Igneel stated, as if realizing Lucy was growing more and more uncomfortable with the silence. Natsu scratched at the back of his head.

“Sting isn’t technically your kid, Dad.” He pointed out, raising a brow, and Igneel snorted.  

“You still call Weisslogia ‘pop’ don’t you? You are both my sons, as you are both Weiss’ sons.” The man insisted, a hand resting on Natsu’s shoulder. His son nodded a bit, giving an unconcerned shrug before his full attention was back on Lucy.

Lucy was only half listening. The gold of Natsu’s eyes seemed to glitter, a mischief bubbling inside him that intrigued Lucy. She didn’t speak again, though whether it was because she hadn’t been spoken to or because she had nothing to say, she couldn’t be quite sure. Her head tilted as she watched the two, tensing briefly when Natsu stepped closer again. But, he only gave that innocent, friendly smile and nodded at her once.

“I’ve got to get back to training before Gramps gets too pissed off.” He said, a lilt of laughter in his voice. “It was nice meeting you. I’ll see you later, alright?”

Lucy nodded, watching as Natsu turned to trot out of the room. He looked over his shoulder one last time to smile at her, waving as he turned out the door. Lucy was left staring after him, eyes wide. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, could hear it echoing inside her head. She stepped forward, closer to the door, without even realizing she was moving. She inhaled sharply when a large hand touched her shoulder, and she snapped her head up to look at Igneel. The man smiled at her, an unnervingly knowing glint in his eyes.

“Do you have any questions, Lucy?”  He asked her. She shook her head. “Then allow me to escort you back to your quarters.”

 

* * *

Lucy sat at the corner of her bed, arms wrapped around her legs as she stared at her toes wriggling on the sheets. It was disorienting, being in this small room she had to share, knowing she should mean nothing but having been treated with such kindness by the man who had taken her in. Knowing she wasn’t going home, that her father had sent her off in exchange for money like she was an object to be bartered with. The confusion and the pain bubbled inside her and she couldn’t even bring herself to cry.

Then there was Natsu. That strange young man who burst in like a whirlwind and already, she knew he was going to turn her entire world upside down, more so than it already had been. Though, whether that was a good thing or bad, she didn’t quite know.

“Hey, Lucy. Are you okay?” Levy asked gently, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Lucy lifted her head and offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’ll be fine. Thanks, Levy.” She answered. Levy smiled at her, staying silent a long moment before clapping her hands together once.

“Come work in the library with me.” She announced, straightening up. “It’ll be fun. Mira told me you were amazed with it, it’s beautiful on the inside, too.”

Lucy blinked once or twice, then a much more genuine smile pulled at her lips and she nodded. “That sounds great.” She agreed.

As Lucy laid down under her sheets to sleep, her thoughts circled through the day, new questions popping up. She turned onto her side, curling up, and closed her eyes.

She’d be okay.


	2. First days aren't always as bad as you expect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited that I've got people liking this story you have no idea! Once again, beta'd by the ever lovely hiyori-s on tumblr.

Lucy woke the next morning to a gentle hand and Levy’s kind face above her. She blinked awake, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. Levy stepped back to plop down onto her bed. She was already dressed, her hair pulled back neatly and a pencil stuck into the blue strands. Lucy yawned quietly, leaning back on a hand and taking a moment to remember where she was.

“Good morning!” Levy greeted, wiping her glasses clean with the edge of her shirt. Lucy yawned into her hand again, rubbing at her eyes again.

“Good morning.” She answered, making a soft groaning sound as she stretched out.

“Want me to wait for you to get breakfast?” Levy asked, standing up once more to organize her piles of books. Loose pages seemed to be falling out of folders and notebooks, and Levy huffed in mild annoyance when she couldn’t quite keep a folder from falling to the floor.

Lucy slid off the bed onto the floor to help pick the loose papers up, smiling as she handed them over to Levy. The shorter girl took the papers with a sheepish wince, carefully placing them back into their folder.

“If you don’t mind waiting, that’d be great.” Lucy pushed up to her feet as she spoke, tugging her pajama shirt up and over her head.

“I’ll wait, it’s fine.” Levy shook her head, trying to convince Lucy that it was, indeed, fine. Lucy hummed a pleasant sound, what might have been a thank you, and pulled a shirt on for the day.

“Thanks. You said it was okay for me to work in the library with you?” Lucy asked, huffing in annoyance when her foot got stuck in her skirt. Levy nodded, having to catch the pencil as it flung out of her hair.

“Yeah, it’ll be great! It’s usually just me and Freed in there, but sometimes another girl Laki is in there, too.”

“We get to choose where we work?” Lucy asked, brows furrowing. “Shouldn’t the people who pay us tell us where to go?”

“Nah, we go where help is needed.” Levy shook her head, offering a gentle smile. “Sometimes one of them will come by and ask us to go help somewhere else, but mostly they let us figure it all out. They trust us to get it done.”

Lucy nodded, blinking in mild surprise. Everyone who had worked for her father had very specific jobs, and never did anything without an order or express permission. She hummed thoughtfully, plopping down onto her bed.

“Hey, Mira said the library’s top floor was restricted to the Slayers.” Lucy turned to face Levy, sitting down so she could put her shoes on. Levy nodded. “Who takes care of it up there if it’s off limits to everyone else?”  

Levy paused, then blinked, then tapped at her chin with a finger and gave a thoughtful hum.

“You know, I don’t really know.” She mused, lips pressing into a thin line and brows furrowing. “Master Makarov goes up there with them, usually, maybe he keeps an eye on them to make sure they don’t mess anything up.” She shrugged.

Lucy nodded a little, her own brows furrowed a bit too. Though, she supposed if only a small, select group of people were allowed up there then there didn’t need to be such intense care given to the area. She shook the thoughts away as she stood, reaching to take some of Levy’s pile. Levy smiled her thanks, and then lead Lucy out into the hallway.

It was easier to be relaxed, now. After meeting Mira and Levy, knowing how kind the people she would be around were. After meeting Igneel, the man who was now her boss, knowing he wanted to take care of her. It was easier for her to allow herself to take the estate in for the beautiful piece of property it was instead of the prison she had initially believed it to be. She could take her time in the library to learn, pick up on information her father had always deemed ‘un-ladylike’. Perhaps, with Igneel’s insistence on treating her like a human and not an object, she’d truly get the chance to grow into herself.

She was shaken from her reverie as they came to the door to the kitchens. It took a moment, but Lucy finally realized her attention had been caught by Levy struggling with the pile of books she still had. Lucy stepped closer, fully intent on taking more of the books from Levy, or perhaps just opening the door for her. But, before she had the chance, the books and files were being lifted over Levy’s head by a strong hand and the door was being pushed open. Lucy inhaled sharply, eyes trailing up until they landed on the young man’s face.

Piercings. That was the first thing that came to mind. Or perhaps ‘terrifying’ was there, first, and ‘piercings’ came as a close second. Either way, red eyes stared back at her, a snarl on his lips. Lucy stumbled back a step, eyes wide as she took in the frightening man.

And then, those red eyes flicked down to Levy and his entire face softened, an almost smile tugging at those lips and a snort of laughter escaping him. Levy huffed at him, whacking him in the chest.

“I had it, Gajeel!” She insisted, but Lucy saw the smile on her face. Gajeel rolled his eyes.

“Sure you did, shrimp. “ He grunted out, nudging her into the door with his foot. He raised a brow at Lucy when she didn’t follow. “You gonna’ go in, blondie?” he asked.

Lucy swallowed thickly, scurrying under the man’s arm into the building and letting out a sigh of relief when he was no longer close enough to touch her. Levy touched her shoulder, and Lucy jerked in surprise before offering a mildly embarrassed little grin. Levy giggled at her, hooking their arms together so she could lead her further into the building.

“Just put the books down on the table and we can go get something to eat.” she instructed, smiling at Gajeel when he followed into the room.

Lucy placed the books carefully in front of one of the empty seats, tensing when Gajeel leaned down beside her to place the books he’d taken from Levy beside them. He scoffed, rolling his eyes, and he crossed his arms as he stood.

“Would you cool it?” He said, perhaps too harshly. “I ain’t about to bite you.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” Lucy looked down at the floor, grabbing for her necklace. Levy stepped up to her side, touching her elbow.

“His bark is worse than his bite, I promise.” She said, smiling brightly at Gajeel. He scoffed and rolled his eyes again, but there was a tiny smile on his lips.

Gajeel ended up sitting with them through breakfast. He didn’t eat much, and he said even less. But, Levy seemed perfectly at ease and kept on talking animatedly as she ate, so Lucy figured she might as well relax as much as she could. She kept her attention on Levy, smiling through her stories as she popped fruit into her mouth. Levy waited until Lucy had finished eating to stand, and Lucy followed her awkwardly to return their plates to the kitchen. She was so used to the maids doing that for her.

Both piles of books and files were already off the table and in Gajeel’s arms when the girls returned to the dining area. He waited for Levy to pass, and followed her out the door. The walk to the library was silent, but not unpleasant. Lucy took the chance to examine the flower beds they passed, gently brushing her fingers of the soft petals of roses and carnations. Once again, she was struck with awe at the beauty of that old library, pausing in front of it to stare up at the carved dragon heads and the intricate dragons weaving up along the doorway. That black stone seemed to shimmer purple in the still rising sun, and the deep red gems in the dragons’ eyes glinted dangerously.

Lucy went up the steps slowly, as if worried the smoothness of the stone would make it slick to touch. Levy and Gajeel waited just inside the archway, and Levy smiled at Lucy. Without saying anything, she turned to press her hand against one of the dark marble slabs beside the door. It pushed in, and suddenly the large marble doors - doors Lucy would be wondering how to open if she’d been given more time to look at them - started to pull away from each other.

Levy had been right; the inside of the library was just as beautiful as the outside. A moulding along the ceiling had the same intricate dragons from outside carved along it. Large, glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the light reflecting off of the carefully sculpted glass pieces and lighting up the entire room. A large, spiral staircase was settled in the corner, the steps lined with a soft, black velvet looking material. The railing of the staircase was a dark, rich looking wood, the same wood used in the rows and rows of book cases.

Gajeel stepped right past Lucy to the large, circular desk in the center of the room. He placed the pile of books and folders down. Levy nudged Lucy a bit, then lead her over to the desk. Levy went right to the little door on the desk to get to the inside, going to lean on the counter across from Gajeel.

“Thank you for the help. “ She said, head cocking to the side and eyes shutting. “Take it easy during training, okay? Your shoulder is still healing.” Gajeel snorted.

“I’m fine.” He reached over the counter to touch her hair, face softening briefly. “I’ll see you later.” He nodded his head to Lucy, giving a brief wave as he left the library. Lucy turned back to Levy once the doors shut, only to see her staring almost wistfully at those doors. Lucy raised a brow.

“Training? Is he one of the Slayers?” She asked, leaning onto the counter. Levy jerked out of her daze and nodded.

“Yup. His name is Gajeel Redfox.” Levy answered.

“Seems like he likes you a lot.” Lucy raised a brow, a little bit of a teasing tone to her voice. Levy immediately straightened, fiddling with the pencil in her hair as her cheeks darkened.

“No, it’s not like that.” She insisted, biting at her bottom lip. “He just...thinks he owes me.” She shook her head and waved her hands. “Okay, so this first floor is all non-fiction.”

That was an obvious sign that this conversation didn’t need to go on, and Lucy nodded. Besides, that little bit of information was enough for Lucy to know it wasn’t her business, even if her curiosity was piqued. So, she let it go and instead listened to Levy’s explanation, eyes lighting up with every piece of information she was given.

Maybe...maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad.

 

* * *

“Natsu, you’re gonna’ be late for training!”

Natsu groaned at that familiar voice, turning onto his side and pulling his blankets up over his head. He gave another groan when his blankets were torn off of him and he was being glared at by his blue familiar. The cat poked at his head, ignoring the hand clumsily swatting him away.

“Go away, Happy, I wanna’ sleep.” Natsu whined, flinging his arm up over his eyes. He heard Happy huff at him, and suddenly there were sharp little claws digging into his forearm. Natsu yelped, sitting up and accidentally knocking Happy to the floor. He winced slightly, reaching to grab the now pouting cat. “I’m sorry, buddy.” He apologized, and Happy shook his head.

“Nah, I scratched you. I sort of deserved it.” He answered. The two smiled brightly at each other, bumping their foreheads together as Natsu stood.

“Come on. Let’s get breakfast.” Natsu scratched at Happy’s ears before setting him on the floor.

Natsu was still mostly asleep through breakfast, eyes half closed and too focused on shoveling food into his mouth to pay attention to what anyone around him was saying. His thoughts wandered, circling through training to that girl Lucy, then to the food he was eating and around again. He was already halfway to the training grounds before his mind cleared and he was focused on anything at all.

“Salamander.” Natsu paused, turning to look over his shoulder to see Gajeel jumping down the stairs up the library. Natsu smirked at him.

“How’s Levy doing?” He asked, waiting for Gajeel to catch up before he was walking again. Gajeel answered with an annoyed little grunt.

“She’s fine.” He muttered, glaring at Natsu as they walked. Natsu stretched his hands up over his head, smirking a little bit. “Pretty excited ‘bout some new blondie who’s apparently working with her, now.” He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Natsu paused, not even feeling it when Happy - who wasn’t paying the least bit of attention - bumped right into his leg. New blondie? Who else could that be but Lucy? That pretty girl was working in the library, then? Natsu turned, looking back towards the large building. Under most circumstances, he avoided the building as much as possible. He hated readed, hated the idea of sitting and taking in the words when he could learn by doing, instead.  People didn’t truly gain the knowledge until they had experience, and no book could give him that.

But, if Lucy was in there, maybe it was worth it to visit a little more often.

 

* * *

The library, Lucy discovered, was filled to the brim with any bit of knowledge you could ever ask for. Sections on ancients religions and languages, cultures from around the world. Entire lines of shelves filled with books about animals and plants, the theories of evolution along with theories about legendary animals. Biographies on too many people to count, and historical accounts of famous events. It was a sight to behold, chapters upon chapters of nothing but information and Lucy was entranced.

But, what was even more amazing was the second floor.

The library back at the Heartfilia mansion - she couldn’t call it an estate after seeing the Dragneel home - was far smaller. A large selection of the books were like textbooks, things her father could refer to if his memory failed him on how to handle his company, Financing guides and past examples to learn from. The few books that were fiction were classics. Old books that, while interesting in their own way, weren’t exciting enough for Lucy to be pleased. Every now and then, one of the maids would bring a mystery or a ghost story for her to read. But for the most part, Lucy was stuck with the old classics that lost their appeal after the first read.

But here, there were rows and rows of different genres of fiction. There was a group of shelves dedicated specifically to vampire stories, another area with murder mysteries. She found shelves overflowing with fantasy adventures, stories where the hero leaves home for whatever quest that ends up bigger than they had ever dreamed.

Lucy was seated on the floor in one of the rows of shelves, entranced by the books labeled science fiction, (A genre she hadn’t even known existed, filled with books where stories of robots and aliens danced across the pages.) When Levy came searching for her. She jumped in surprise, gasping, when a hand touched her shoulder and she smiled sheepishly when she turned to face the other girl. Levy laughed, resting her hands on her hips.

“It’s nearly dinner time, Lucy.” She said, a slightly chiding tone to her voice. “You completely skipped lunch, you must be starving.”

Lucy blinked in surprise. Now that it was on her mind, she noticed her stomach was achingly empty. Had she really been poking through the library for so long? She pushed to her feet, gasping and having to hold on to the shelf when she put pressed on her numb leg. Levy jerked closer worriedly, arms out, but Lucy shook her head.

“I’m okay! I just lost feeling in my leg, I guess I was sitting too long.” She said, shaking her leg to try and get the blood circulating. Levy sighed, deflating as the worry faded.

Levy offered her arm to Lucy, who took it with another sheepish little smile. It was admittedly sad to leave the library, to leave the vast collection of stories. But, Lucy figured she’d have the chance to read as many as she wanted, if she was going to be working there. It hadn’t seemed like Levy minded, and Lucy couldn’t recall anyone actually entering the library, either.

It wasn’t long into the walk to the kitchens that Lucy’s regained the feeling in her leg. She held the door open for the other girl, and had to pause as she walked in after her. The small dining area was filled, people loudly talking and laughing. Only a few of them seemed to have any food, and others were disappearing into the kitchen - presumably to get their own meals. She swallowed back the gasp that had caught in her throat, and she squared her shoulders before going to follow Levy.

Levy winced apologetically when she realized Lucy was straggling behind, and she rushed to return to Lucy’s side. She hooked their arms together, offering a little smile. “I’m sorry. They’re all loud but they’re nice.” She insisted. She pointed, leaning closer to Lucy.

“That guy with the dark hair and no shirt? That’s Gray. He’s Natsu’s best friend. He doesn’t actually work for the estate.” She explained, and Lucy nodded absently. Levy didn’t pause, though, and pointed out where Mira was talking to a blond man.

“That guy that Mira is talking to is Laxus. He’s one of the slayers. And that long haired guy walking up to them is Freed. He’s usually in the library with me, but he wasn’t there today.” She explained as Lucy nodded. She tensed in surprise when Laxus bent to kiss Freed briefly, despite his arm being around Mira’s waist. Levy giggled, and Lucy blushed as the realization that she had been caught in her surprise hit her.

“All three of them are dating.” Levy told her, tugging Lucy gently towards the kitchens. Lucy nodded, a bit dumbly, and her brows furrowed.

Levy continued to point people out to her as they walked, and for some reason it was more difficult to keep up. It had been so much easier to process the information about the estate, easier for Lucy to catalogue buildings and structures. People were far more difficult. Lucy wasn’t used to too many people, anyway. She attended her father’s large galas, yes, but her place was behind her father, quiet and polite. She wasn’t supposed to engage the guests in conversation, aside from polite greetings. Here, there were hoards of loud, energetic people and it was all a little overwhelming, if a bit exciting.

When the two girls finally found an area to sit for their meal, Lucy had already forgotten a large percentage of the names she’d been told. She could remember Laxus, could tie that name to the harsh scar down his face. And Gray seemed to stick out in her memory, too. Everyone else? She couldn’t remember more than the vague idea of how their name started.

“Hey, Lucy…” Levy’s soft voice broke through Lucy’s thoughts and the blonde turned with a tiny smile to her, and if the smile was a little forced than Levy didn’t need to know.

“I know your circumstances are horrible.” Levy said gently, reaching to touch Lucy’s hand. “But you’re facing this all with a smile and that’s the best thing you can do. We’re all here for you, okay?”

Lucy’s smile softened, grew a little more genuine, and she nodded.

“Thank you, Levy.”


	3. If you thought this was happy you were wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will remind you all that hiyori-s beta'd this fic every single chapter because she deserves all of your love.

“Tell me what you did wrong, Natsu.” Master Makarov said firmly, pacing in front of the young man that had been knocked on the floor, his hands clasped behind his back. Natsu growled under his breath, but pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“Didn’t wait for a clear opening.” He grumbled, an annoyed glare pulling at his features. Makarov nodded.

“Exactly. You cannot rush a fight, Natsu. Your power is important, but you cannot win on strength alone.”

Natsu nodded, jaw clenched. He nodded once, again, in thanks to Sting when the younger helped tug him to his feet. The anger, however, was not aimed toward Sting, or even Makarov. It never was. It was aimed toward himself. These were things he knew, he knew damn well to wait until he had a good chance to attack, to not rush into it lest he would end up defeated. He shook himself off, returning to an offensive stance as Sting did the same across from him.

“Come on, Nii-san. “ the blond encouraged, a smirk that insisted he was Natsu’s relative tugging across his lips. The expression on Natsu’s own face didn’t change. A serious, stone hard expression that hid the thoughts rushing through his brain like a train. Focus on his breathing, on his stance, pay attention to how he moves to predict his attacks.

And suddenly, the two were a mere blur of color. The smacking of skin on skin as their limbs connected and blocked each other, the soft grunts they let out as they fought. Makarov circled them slowly, hands still clasped firmly behind his back. His eyes twitched back and forth as he watched them, carefully cataloguing every movement they made.

However, soon enough, the fighting turned into wrestling. Natsu and Sting rolling on the ground with each other, both laughing. Natsu pulled Sting into a headlock, laughing maniacally as his littler brother squirmed to get away. Makarov felt his lips twitch in annoyance, and he raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

“Boys!” He demanded, voice echoing in the clearing, and the two Dragon Slayers paused, looking up at the man. His eyebrow twitched, and his hands clenched slightly. “This is not play-time!”

The boys scrambled up to their feet, chests heaving and amused grins on their faces. Makarov huffed an annoyed little sigh, then waved a hand to dismiss the two. Immediately, they took off out of the training field, chasing each other on their way out. Makarov sighed again, shaking his head. Now that the two weren’t looking at him, he allowed a fond expression to soften his features.

“You’ve gotten better, Sting!” Natsu praised the younger once they had stopped running. He nudged Sting with his arm as they strolled over the lawn, and Sting smiled proudly.

“Still not good enough to beat you.” He shrugged and Natsu laughed.

“Nah, you knocked me down.” He reminded him, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

Natsu slowed to a stop as they passed the library, looking over his shoulders at the large building. Sting stopped a few paces in front of him, turning to look at the elder. Natsu’s head tilted curiously, examining the old building. He slowly turned until he was fully facing it, lips pressing into a thin line and brows furrowing together.

“Nii-san?” Sting questioned, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah...Yeah, just go on without me. I’ll catch up later.” Natsu nodded, waving briefly. He stepped closer to the library, waiting until he heard Sting turn away before he actually went up the stairs.

 

* * *

It had been three days working in the library and Lucy still hadn’t managed to sort through all of the fiction books. She was consistently amazed by new stories, finding hundreds and hundreds of new adventures each day. And on top of that, Lucy found that it was easier and easier to forget that initial fear with each passing day. She rarely saw any of the slayers, and she hadn’t seen Igneel at all since that first day where he asked to speak with her. And she hadn’t met any of the other masters. Not that she was surprised, what with how large the estate was and how little time she spent anywhere aside from the library.

The large doors made a loud, scraping type of noise when they opened, making it impossible to sneak into the library. Lucy had taken to jumping up and rushing to the front, round desk whenever she heard those doors. She nearly tripped over her pile of books, and ended up hopping a few feet to catch her balance before she was on her way to the desk. She could see Levy standing on one of the ladders as she hurried down the stairs from the second floor, and she waved at her.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry!” She called, and Levy shot her a thumbs up, almost losing her balance and gripping at the side of the ladder.

“Hi! Can I help you with anything?” Lucy asked as she hurried to her spot behind the counter, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and straightening out books and folders as she went. When she finally looked up, however, she nearly gasped and paused.

That pink haired boy she had met just a few days ago was standing in front of her. Natsu was standing in the library. He smiled brightly at her, walking up to the counter and leaning on it. Lucy wanted to say something, anything really. But what was she going to say? She’d only met him once. And besides, she’d already asked a question that he hadn’t even answered yet.

“Hey! Lucy, right?” Natsu greeted, head tilting a little. Lucy nodded dumbly, eyes still wide. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah...yeah, it’s nice to see you, too.” Lucy answered, though she knew it didn’t sound overly convincing. Natsu hesitated briefly, then looked down by his feet.

“I guess she’s just not used to people yet?” He asked. Lucy’s brows furrowed. Who was he talking to? And why was he talking about her like she wasn’t even there?

Before Lucy could step forward to look and hopefully debunk any theory of Natsu simply being insane, she saw blue fur crawling up his back and a cat poked it’s head over his shoulder. When the creature answered Natsu with ‘I guess.’ Lucy gasped, stumbling backwards. She stepped back right into the chair behind her and she gave a small yell as she crashed to the floor. Eyes wide and worried, Natsu vaulted over the counter so he could crouch beside her, a strong hand on her shoulder.

“Lucy! Are you okay?” He asked her. Lucy just gaped, eyes locked on to that cat.

“Your...your cat, he….he talked….” She managed to say, trembling slightly.

Natsu blinked, brows furrowing a bit in surprise. And then, the realization lit up in his eyes and he shook his head, easing Lucy into a sitting position. Lucy swallowed thickly, unable to ignore how Natsu’s hand was still on her shoulder.

“That’s Happy. He’s not just a cat, he’s a Familiar.” He explained, and Happy nodded his agreement. Lucy’s face scrunched up in mild confusion.

“Familiar?” She answered slowly.

“Yeah.” Natsu nodded, then pushed to his feet and offered his hand to Lucy. “Come with me. I’ll show you something.”

Lucy lifted her hand, then hesitated. Her hand hovered halfway between Natsu’s hand and the ground. Was she going to get in trouble for leaving the library when she was supposed to be working? But Natsu was technically one of the people in charge, wasn’t he? Since Igneel was his father? Surely doing what he said wouldn’t get her in trouble?

But something about the young man made Lucy trust him, made her want to take that hand and let him lead her to wherever he wanted. Ridiculous a notion as it was, it was almost like the heroine in a story being led to her first adventure. And that alone made it seem worthwhile. Swallowed, then squaring her shoulders, Lucy took Natsu’s hand and let him pull her to her feet.

* * *

 

 

Natsu led Lucy far out onto the grounds, much farther than Mira had brought her for that tour three days ago. He stayed quiet, reaching to take Lucy’s hand and help her over fallen logs when they passed through a small section of woods. Natsu didn’t seem to care when twigs or leaves brushed through and tangled his hair, didn’t seem to notice when his clothes caught on stray sticks while he walked. Lucy, on the other hand, had to duck to keep her hair from tangling and was consistently pressing her skirt down when it got stuck. 

Finally, Natsu lead Lucy into a large, open area. She could see what looked like practice dummies along one side, and a ring of stones was in the center of the field. Natsu smiled brightly over his shoulder at Lucy, guiding her to the side of what she assumed was the practice field.

“Just wait there, okay?” He told her, nodding at Happy. The cat plopped on the ground beside Lucy.

Natsu jogged out to the center of the field, right in the middle of the ring of stones. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Lucy’s hand wrapped around her necklace slowly, eyes wide and curious. What was he doing? Was he just going to show off? Natsu put himself into a strong stance, legs apart and arms to the side. Lucy gasped when his hands suddenly burst into flames. His arms moved slowly, precisely, and he lowered in his stance. Finally, he swung his arms, a strange wind-millish type of motion and long ropes of flame whipped out from his fists.

As the flames died down, Natsu came trotting back over to Lucy with a big smile. Lucy didn’t move, eyes still wide. She could feel her heart jump up into her throat, the blood pulsing through her too harshly to be healthy. Her hands clenched up, nails digging into her palms painfully and she took a step back without really realizing it. Natsu’s smile faltered as he got closer, the pride and excitement fading when he saw Lucy retreat from him. He swallowed, glancing quickly at Happy before he stepped a little closer to Lucy.

“Lucy?” He asked. “You okay?”  Lucy stayed silent for a long moment.

“How did...you do that?” She finally asked, voice rasping like she hadn’t used it in months.

“It’s magic.” Natsu answered, head tilting. “It’s part of the Dragon Slayer training. We all can do it.” He scratched the back of his head, looking down at Happy as if asking for help. Happy nodded, crossing his little arms.

“Yeah. Magic used to be pretty common but it eventually died out until only two or three blood lines were still consistently able to use it.” He said, moving to stand beside Natsu again. “And familiars like me always manage to find the people who can use magic. I’m a cat with my own magical ability.”

Lucy stayed silent again, another long moment passing with no sound but her too heavy breathing. Magic. Magic was real. She had just seen fire, actual fire, created from nothing. And she wasn’t scared. Surprised, yes. In awe. But not afraid. Because really, hadn’t she always wanted adventure? To be brought into something far larger than herself? Why else would she immerse herself in all those stories? Write so many fantastical adventures where the heroine had an uncanny resemblance to herself? And now, that opportunity had dropped itself right in front of her in the form of a handsome young man with golden eyes who seemed eager to show what he was capable of, even if he himself wasn’t sure of what that was.

“That was amazing.” She finally blurted out, and she could see Natsu relax as relief took him over and he smiled again.

“Yeah, that was a Wing Attack. “ He nodded, hands resting on his hips. “Dad taught me that one, first.”

Lucy stepped forward, her heart now racing from excitement instead of surprise. She reached to latch her hands onto Natsu’s shirt, the soft fabric folding easily in her hold and Natsu blinked in momentary confusion.

“How long have you been learning? Do all of you make fire? Is it difficult to learn?” The questions poured out, and she couldn’t stop them now that she had began. Natsu smiled again, gently prying her fingers from his shirt.

“I’ve been learning since I was little. It wasn’t hard, it just sort of came naturally.” He stepped back so he could settled on the ground, legs crossed, and he gestured for Lucy to join him. She settled down, careful to keep her skirt covering her. “No, we don’t all learn fire. I know fire, Dad knows fire. It’s sort of...whatever element just comes most easily to us?”

Lucy nodded slowly as Natsu spoke, taking in the information. Her eyes glinted with awe, locked on to Natsu as he answered her questions. She held her hair out of her face when the wind blew gently, and a contented sigh slipped out from her lips.

“Natsu. Lucy Heartfilia is meant to be working, not playing.” A voice suddenly cut through their almost ethereal silence, and Lucy jerked.

She had never heard that voice before, and it sent chills down her spine. Like a cold hand gripping her tightly from her very bones. Even Natsu tensed, and Lucy could see him clench his jaw as he slowly rose to his feet and turned in the direction of the voice. The man he was stepping closer made Lucy’s blood run cold. Pale skin and bright blue eyes, far less welcoming than any blue eyes she had ever seen. His dark hair was slicked back carefully, and while Igneel had tempered his danger with kindness, this man seemed to bask in the knowledge that he was a force to be reckoned with.

“I asked her to come with me, Acnologia.” Natsu said, squaring his shoulders, drawing himself up to make himself bigger than he was. The man narrowed his eyes a fraction at the boy.

“I didn’t ask for you to make excuses for her, Natsu.” He said, voice sharp. He stepped past Natsu easily, ignoring the young man when he tried to block Lucy.

“You. Are meant to be working.” Acnologia’s voice darkened even more, and Lucy felt fear bubble in her chest. Before she had the chance to answer, his hand snapped down to grip her too tightly by the arm, and Lucy cried out as she was pulled roughly to her feet.

Natsu jerked closer, reaching his arm across Acnologia to try and make him release Lucy. The man responded by tightening his grip on her and shooting a sideways glance at Natsu. Lucy bit into her bottom lip, trying to stifle the pained sounds building in her throat. Even still, a little whimper managed to slip out.

“Don’t hurt her, it’s my fault!” Natsu demanded, an almost desperate anger straining his voice.  

Acnologia turned to Natsu, finally releasing Lucy and she grabbed at the already bruised flesh, cradling it gently. He barely moved, just tilting his head and flashing his eyes and suddenly, Natsu was flung across the training field. He hit a tree, grunting when he hit the ground. Happy rushed to his side, tears pooling in his big eyes. Lucy gasped, then forced herself into a submissive position with her head down and hands clasped in front of her.

“I’m sorry, sir, I didn-” Before she had the chance to finished, a loud crack resounded in the clearing as Acnologia’s hand slapped across her face and Lucy stumbled to the side.

“I did not tell you to speak, wench.” He hissed, reaching to grab her arm again.

Lucy stayed silent, this time, trying to keep up with the man as he dragged her from the field. Natsu, holding his side, snarled under his breath. How dare that man. Lucy was a young girl, he had no right to touch her. The anger burned in Natsu’s veins, and he punched the ground as hard as he could. Flames exploded around him, charring the ground.

“It’s not your fault, Natsu.” Happy insisted, placing his paw on Natsu’s arm.

“I didn’t hurt her, but I let him hurt her.” Natsu answered, voice low and dark. He sighed, then, forcing the rage to dissipate and he wrapped Happy up in his arms. “Come on. Let’s just go to our room.”

 

* * *

Lucy tried to force tears back as she sat on her bed, Mira dapping at the raw bruise on her face with a damp cloth. Levy had spent the last two hours ranting angrily, going so far as to threaten to sick Gajeel on the man. Mira had been just as silent as Lucy, wincing as if she had been the one hit each time she touched one of the marks left on Lucy’s skin.

“I’m so sorry this is how you had to meet him.” Mirajane finally said softly, handing a cup of tea to Lucy, who took it with a nod of thanks.

“I...was starting to feel at home, here.” She said, voice cracking and barely above a whisper. Levy paused her pacing, turning to look at Lucy with sad eyes.

“...It seems like he comes to remind all of us that he’s ‘above’ us every time we start to forget.” She said, looking down and collapsing onto her bed.

“None of the others are like him, Lucy. “ Mira insisted, moving so she was sitting on Lucy’s bed. She grabbed the brush from the small bureau, gently pulling it through Lucy’s hair. “I know that doesn’t make it any better, it doesn’t fix what he did. But if Natsu was there like you said, Igneel will do something.”

Lucy’s hands trembled as she lifted her mug to sip the tea. She sniffled slightly, reaching to wipe the wetness from her eyes as she put the mug down. Natsu had been hurt because of her. He’d tried to defend her and he’d been thrown to the side like he was nothing. Lucy felt a terrible amount of guilt but worse than that, she felt fear. So much fear constricting her chest and making her ache.

“Thank you.” She finally murmured, leaning into Mira. The older girl wrapped her arms around Lucy, rocking her gently as she would her own sister.

“Just try to keep smiling, Lucy. “ She whispered. “We’ll all make it through.”


	4. The plot! It thickens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some of the greatest chapter titles, okay? 
> 
> Beta'd by Phoenix, who has a new tumblr url; faetail.

Lucy’s face was swollen when she woke the next morning, and it hurt to blink. She kept her head down, trying to ignore the pitying looks she was given all through breakfast. She didn’t want the pity. Didn’t need it. She kept the bruise on her arm covered, refusing to let anyone see it and she smiled at whoever entered the library despite how it irritated her swollen cheek. 

“Lucy, could I ask you to sort through these files?” Freed asked her about halfway through the day, carefully avoiding looking at the marks. She nodded, taking the files from him and standing so she could go to the desk.

When Lucy got to the front desk, Natsu was standing there waiting. Lucy sighed, looking down. He stayed quiet as she approached the desk, just watching as she went behind the counter and settled in a chair. He finally gave a frustrated grunt, rubbing both hands up over his face.

“I’m sorry.” He said, looking straight at Lucy. She lifted her head only to find herself locked in place by his eyes.

“You didn’t do anything.” She answered, straightening a little. Natsu shook his head.

“I made you leave and Acnologia got pissed at you. “ He retorted, stepping closer to the counter. Lucy sighed, shaking her head.

“I could have said no. You weren’t exactly making me do anything.” She closed the files and placed them in front of her, leaning forward on the desk.

Natsu shook his head, but even he could realize that they would only talk in circles if he disagreed again. So, he shuffled a bit, then placed a small, metal tin on the counter in front of Lucy, not looking at her. Lucy’s brows furrowed and she tentatively picked up the small tin, examining it.

“What’s this?” She asked, head tilting.

“A salve. It’s supposed to dull the ache from bruises. Gramps gave it to me.” He answered, awkwardly scratching at his head.

A smile tugged at Lucy’s lips, and she nodded. When she opened the tin, the salve inside smelled like peppermint. She inhaled slightly, sighing contentedly as her entire body relaxed. Natsu watched from the corner of his eye, as if embarrassed to actually look at her.

“Thank you. When do you want it back?” She asked. Natsu shook his head, already turning for the door.

“Just keep it, I can get more.” He said, waving briefly as he left. Lucy blinked, staring at the spot he had been before another little smiled touched her lips.

 

* * *

“It’s fucking ridiculous.” Natsu demanded, punching at the training dummy. “They’re still people! They still deserved to be treated like human beings!”

Gray nodded, lips pressed into a thin line and eyes narrowed just a bit. He leaned back against the tree behind him, one leg stretched in front of him and the other bent at the knee. It surprised him a lot of times, how unconditionally compassionate Natsu was. He’d seen his friend fight, seen the unbridled power he held that he didn’t seem to even realize was there. And Gray knew all too well how that kind of power can corrupt, can twist a person’s heart until they see nothing but what they can gain from others. And yet, all of that power only fueled Natsu’s passion to protect others.

“You need to relax, flame brain. “ Gray finally said, raising a hand to scratch at his head. “If you try and do anything about it, it’ll piss him off and he’ll just be worse on them.”

“I know.” Natsu groaned, throwing himself into a spinning kick that caused the dummy to explode in flames.

Gray pushed to his feet, going to nudge Natsu with his elbow. He smiled at him, lowering himself into an offensive stance. Natsu gave a tiny smirk in return, following the example. They circled each other carefully, arms up and each examining the other thoroughly.

Natsu moved first, charging in with a flip that Gray thought was wholly unnecessary. When Natsu’s kick came down, his foot cracked into a slab of ice and Gray smirked at him. He was proud, and justifiably so. He was young when he first started learning to use his magic,  but not nearly as young as Natsu. And even so, he had trained himself up until he was close to Natsu’s level and the two sparred nearly every day.

There was no clear winner to the sparring match, there rarely ever was. They were left gasping for breath, giving little huffs of laughter as they tried to regain their composure. Gray went to sling his arm around Natsu’s shoulders, jostling him playfully.

“Come on. now that you’re not so pissed that you’re going to burn down the whole damn building, your dad needs to know what happened.”

 

* * *

Igneel nodded slowly, pacing back and forth in his study. Eyes narrowed and a hand thoughtfully stroking at his chin, he seemed to be ignoring Natsu and Gray. But Natsu knew his father, knew that the man was taking in the information, processing it, and deciding what the best course of action would be. Finally, Igneel sighed and placed both hands on the desk, facing the two young boys.

“Gray, shut the door, please.” He said. Gray moved before the man had even finished speaking.

Natsu didn’t move, not even a twitch. He had the same, thoughtful intensity that his father had, back straight and shoulders squared. There was a thick tension hanging in the air, and something about the stare off almost seemed hostile. Gray stood by Natsu’s side, arms crossing over his chest as he waited. Finally, igneel dropped his head and sighed.

“Boys, I was hoping to keep you out of this matter, but I’ve come to realize that I can’t continue with this unless I have help.” He stated, meeting their gazes again.

“What is it.” Natsu demanded, and it still amazed Gray that he could bark out a command while still keeping a respectful tone in his voice.

“I’ve been trying to look into Acnologia’s business ventures for some time. “ Igneel explained, eyes narrowing briefly. “I’ve had my suspicions about him since before you were even born, Natsu. “

“If you’ve been looking for over twenty years, wouldn’t you have found something by now?” Gray asked, brows furrowing. Igneel sighed again, shaking his head slowly.

“Gray, both Acnologia and myself have very high standing. We’re both connected to very important people and we ourselves are important in politics, business and plenty of other aspects. I’ve had nothing but my own suspicion to go on with this.” Igneel clicked his tongue, annoyed, and, shook his head. Natsu and Gray exchanged a sideways glance.

“What do you mean, exactly?” Natsu asked. Igneel straightened, hands slipping into his pockets.

“I looked into him because he doesn’t sit right with me, but without a solid theory to announce, I can’t go into his history any deeper than I already have. I’ve been waiting for him to slip up, to do something that I can point out so an actual investigation can begin.” He paused, giving a frustrated sigh, jaw clenching. “ But he’s meticulous, he makes sure all official records are kept perfect and no inconsistencies show up.”

“Then why didn’t you ever ask us?” Gray asked him, brows furrowing in mild confusion. “We aren’t restricted like you are. If anyone sees us digging into it, they’ll pin it off on us being rowdy twenty year olds with a grudge.”

“I didn’t want you two to be involved, I really didn’t. I fear this matter is going to end up far more dangerous than it is right now.” Igneel paused again, looking Natsu, then Gray in the eyes. “But, I can’t learn anything more. Not like you two can.”

It stayed quiet for a long moment, a heavy tension hanging in the air. Gray and Natsu glanced at each other, and then smirks tugged at their lips. Gray rested his elbow on Natsu’s shoulder, and they pressed their fists together.

“Don’t worry about it, Dad.” Natsu said, his almost smug confidence flaring back up. “We got this.” Gray nodded his agreement, nonchalant as if he wasn’t the least bit concerned.

“Hell yeah we do.” He agreed.

Igneel allowed a fondly exasperated smile to flick over his lips. He loved these boys, saw both of them as his sons. They had the confidence of every young adult, that eager fire burning in them that told them they had already won.

He just hoped it didn’t end up being their downfall.

 

* * *

“Gajeel, we’re fine. “ Levy sighed, hands on her hips when Gajeel entered the library at the end of the day. He ignored her.

“Yo, Blondie. You doing okay?” He asked, raising a brow. Lucy offered a tiny smile, nodding.

“I’ll be fine.” She answered, voice a little quieter than usual.

It had gotten easier and easier to relax around Gajeel. He had his tough exterior, had that ‘bad boy’ image but Lucy had realized quickly that he was a caring soul. Especially when it came to Levy, who it seemed he now needed to escort around. Lucy knew it wouldn’t do any good to mention it, after all Natsu had been there when Acnologia hit her. Gajeel wouldn’t stop, would guard Levy like it was his job, and that only increased the curiosity Lucy had about the two of them.

Lucy gathered up the two books she planned on taking back with her, carefully placing bookmarks into each. She couldn’t quite hear whatever it was Levy was excitedly rambling about, but she could see Gajeel listening intently. It was good to see, how she always had his full attention. Lucy was positive he didn’t actually care about what she was talking about, but she wanted to tell him and thus, Gajeel listened.

“Lucy, are you ready to go?” Levy’s voice broke Lucy from her thoughts, and she looked up to see both Levy and Gajeel waiting for her. She smiled sheepishly, rushing from behind the counter to join them.

Before they made it to the kitchens, a dark haired young man with the same red eyes as Gajeel came up to them. Lucy didn’t recall meeting him before, but she couldn’t help but assume he was somehow related to the man on Levy’s other side. He nodded to her and Levy respectfully before turning his attention to Gajeel.

“Nii-san, I can’t find Frosch. He was with Lily last that I knew.” He said, a mild panic in his voice. Gajeel blinked once, then nodded.

“Alright, kid. Let’s go look for him.” He said, glancing at Levy as if asking her if she’d be okay the rest of the way to the kitchen. She smiled, and waved him off.

“Go. Frosch is probably scared, if he’s lost, and two looking for him is better than one.” She answered, giving a sweet smile to Rogue. He smiled thankfully at her, then turned on his heel and nearly dragged Gajeel off with him.

“You met Happy, right?” Levy asked when she noticed the mildly confused look on Lucy’s face. Lucy nodded, head tilting as they began walking again. “Well all of the Slayers have a familiar. Pantherlily is Gajeel’s and Frosch is Rogue’s. Frosch is sweet but he’s a little…” She trailed off, lips pressing into a thin line as she thought through how to explain.

“Flighty?” Lucy offered, and Levy laughed.

“Yeah, flighty. Ditzy. He means well.” She shrugged, nodding a thanks when Lucy held the door to the kitchen open for her.

They stayed silent, then, stepping through the dining area into the actual kitchen so they could get some food. Lucy settled across from Levy at the table, biting at her bottom lip. She poked at her food, pushing a carrot around on the plate before sighing and putting her fork down.

“Levy? Can I ask a question?” She asked, biting at her lip. Levy finished chewing and nodded.

“Of course.” She answered. Lucy hesitated for a moment.

“What exactly is the situation between you and Gajeel?” She finally said, voice going a little quieter.

Levy tensed for a moment, eyes widening. Then, she sighed, shoulders dropping, and she set her fork and knife down beside her plate. She stood, walking around the table to settle beside Lucy, and Lucy turned slightly in her seat so she was facing the other girl. Levy pulled her sleeve down, the back of her shoulder to Lucy. There was a scar, there, as if something large had harshly punctured through the skin. The scar was just that, a scar. Old, completely healed for, at the least, a year or more. Lucy gasped slightly, eyes widening, and she reached to brush her fingers over the mark. Levy twitched when she was touched, and she pulled her sleeve right back up.

“He did that to me.” Levy said quietly, looking down as she straightened out in her seat again. Lucy’s eyes widened a bit more.

“Gajeel gave you that scar?” She asked, as if she couldn’t quite believe she had heard it correctly. Levy nodded.

“He was angry. I don’t even remember about what, now.” She explained, not looking at Lucy. “He didn’t even realize I was there and he was trying to get the aggression out. Suddenly, I had an iron spike in my shoulder. I passed out from blood loss, and I woke up in my bed with Mira over me.”

Lucy stayed silent, eyes still wide. Whatever it was she expected to get as an answer, it certainly wasn’t this. Sweet but headstrong Levy had been hurt that badly? And by Gajeel, who always seemed so gentle with her, like he believed she were made of spun glass. Lucy had only seen him do everything to take care of her.

“Mira told me he had carried me back to the quarters.” Levy continued after a few moments of silence, shaking her head. “And ever since, it’s like he thinks he owes me.”

“It makes sense that he’d think that.” Lucy answered, nodding. Levy sighed, shaking her head.

“It does make sense, but he doesn’t owe me anything.” She huffed, exasperated. “It was an accident. He had no clue I was walking by.“

Lucy nodded slightly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. No wonder Gajeel was always treating Levy as if she were fragile. He was terrified of hurting her again. Lucy sighed, staring down at her plate of food. She finally nudged Levy gently, offering a tiny smile.

“Well, what do you think of him?” She asked, a light tone to her voice. She saw a faint pink tint Levy’s cheeks and a little smile quirked the corners of her lips.

“I don’t know. I guess I really like him.” She admitted bashfully. Lucy smiled at her, wrapping an arm around the smaller girl’s shoulders.

“Well I’m pretty sure he likes you, too.” She said, nodding firmly. Levy swatted at her.

“Be quiet!” She huffed, the pink on her cheeks deepening.

Lucy laughed, ignoring the ache still lingering on her face. Soon enough, Levy had joined her in her giggles. They ignored the people around them, laughing together instead of focusing on anyone else. So Lucy didn’t realize they had anyone paying them any attention until a woman with fiery red hair and a sword at her hip was standing across from them, head tilted. Lucy looked up at her, surprised. She was pretty, but Lucy had found pretty much everyone on the estate was pleasing to look at.

“Oh! Erza, hey! Welcome back!” Levy greeted, the humor not leaving her voice despite her giggles having died down. The woman - Erza, apparently - nodded with a little smile.

“Hello, Levy. It’s good to see you’re not eating alone.” She answered, looking to Lucy and offering a hand.

“My name is Erza Scarlet.” She stated, smiling. “I’m the head guard on the estate. Lucy Heartfilia, correct?”

Lucy blinked in surprise before taking the proffered hand. A young woman was the head guard? And why was it that everyone seemed to know exactly who she was before even meeting her? She knew she had come from money, that at one point she had been worth quite a bit. But, she was just one of the workers, now. Just a normal girl, lost in the stories in the library during the day and lost in her dreams at night.

“Yeah, I’m Lucy. It’s nice to meet you.” Lucy finally answered when she realized her silence had lingered a bit too long.

“Sit and eat with us, you only got back today.” Levy said, gesturing to the seat she had been in a few minutes before. Erza smiled, giving a nod as she accepted the offer and settled down into the chair.

“Lucy, I’m pleased to see how friendly you and Levy are.” The redhead announced, and Levy looked down with a bashful smile. “If she wasn’t eating with Gajeel, she was eating alone with her books.”

“I like my books!” Levy defended, huffing slightly. Lucy chuckled, wrapping an arm around Levy and squeezing her gently, despite the movement causing her bruised arm to ache.

“I’m really glad you sit with me.” She told her, smiling warmly. “It’s good to have a friend.”

Levy smiled warmly back at her, and she turned slightly so she could return the hug with a little sigh.


	5. Barefoot and free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long. Class started up and school just sorta took over my life and I just ughh. Once again beta'd by Sarah, who deserves all your love.

Natsu’s bedroom was on the top floor of the main building, a balcony looking over the front of the house and two large windows. He laid out on his stomach on his bed, one of many files spread out in front of him. Gray leaned his back against the bed, his own head near the file Natsu was looking at with his own file in his lap. Natsu groaned, dropping his forehead down onto the bed.

“I thought this would be more fun.” He whined, and Gray raised an uninterested brow without looking up.

“You thought searching through Acnologia’s files to figure out how much of a bastard he is would be fun?” He asked, voice flat. He felt a swat at his head and reached blindly behind him to return it.

“I don’t know, I thought it’d be more like those spy stories.” Natsu answered with a sigh, rolling onto his back. “And these files are boring.”

Gray rolled his eyes, placing his file down on the ground. He couldn’t disagree, it _ was _ boring, but the point of this wasn’t to be fun. It was to get something on Acnologia to prove he was as terrible as they all knew he was. He pushed up to his feet, climbing onto the bed and slinging a leg over Natsu so he was sitting on his hips. Natsu grumbled, waving a hand at him as if that would make the other boy get off. Gray just raised another unimpressed brow and reached to poke at Natsu’s head.

“Weren’t you upset about that girl getting bruised?” He reminded him. Natsu sighed, snapping his hand up to grab Gray’s wrist and stop the poking.

“Yeah. I  _ am _ upset about it. “ He sighed, lips pressing into a thin line for a brief moment. “I told her to come with me and he got pissed at her because of it. It was my fault and she’s the one who had to pay.”

Gray sighed, deflating a little bit. He knew that look in Natsu’s eyes, knew that self loathing look too well. It was the same look that made Natsu train for days on end, running on fumes and too much caffeine. That look that Natsu insisted meant he was pushing to be better, to be stronger. To be able to protect others. That look in his eyes allowed Gray to see the fire burning in him, that selfless, protective instinct blazing out of control with no other way to get out.

Gray knew that look very well, and he knew that it usually beckoned trouble.

And Natsu knew Gray would be right by him through the whole thing.

“Alright, flame brain.” Gray finally said, patting at Natsu’s cheek to make the other look at him. “Then we’re going to take him down. No more pretty girls getting in trouble for doing what you ask.” Natsu offered a smile, nodding once.

“No more Juvia going back to you and Lyon with bruises.” Natsu agreed, shoving Gray off of him and laughing when his friend tumbled to the floor. “Frozen pervert.”

Gray threw a pillow that had fallen onto the floor at Natsu, rolling his eyes. Natsu caught the pillow with a grin, shoulders relaxing. He could push through the boredom if it meant that Acnologia would be gone. If that domineering, pitiful excuse of a man left the estate, Natsu could live happily. He cared too much about public image, and believed his magic gave him the right to control those weaker than him instead of protect them. But, as much as Natsu hated to admit it, he was a smart man. He left little trace of his actions, and hid his cruelty behind a well crafted mask.

Natsu rolled back over onto his stomach and picked the file he had been reading back up as Gray resettled in his spot against the bed. It stayed silent between them for a few minutes, every so often a page rustling as it was moved. Finally, Gray clicked his tongue.

“Why does this girl matter so much to you?” He asked, not looking up from the file. It stayed quiet a long moment, so long that he almost asked again. Then Natsu sighed.

“I don’t know.” He answered, voice quiet and brows furrowing. “I just...there’s something about her. It’s like I don’t think I  _ need _ to protect her, I’m pretty sure she can handle herself. But I  _ want _ to protect her.”

Gray nodded slowly, trying to process the answer. Sure, Natsu liked protecting people. It was in his nature to do so. But somehow, this one seemed different. And Gray didn’t know what to make of it. But this girl was going to end up important to his best friend, of that he was positive. A tiny smile quirked at his lips and he stayed quiet.

“I don’t really understand it.” Natsu added, giving a frustrated sigh, as if not understanding was upsetting him. Gray shrugged.

“It’s how I feel about Juvia and Lyon.” Gray told him, looking over his shoulder at Natsu. His friend blinked at him, face blank.

“You’re dating them.” He said flatly. Gray snorted a laugh and nodded once. “I’ve met Lucy twice, dude?” His brows furrowed. Gray shrugged again.

“So? You like her. You always dove into everything head first, this isn’t any different.” Gray poked at Natsu’s forehead as he spoke, chuckling when Natsu swatted him away.  Natsu fell silent once more, a thoughtful expression on his face as he turned back to his files.

 

* * *

A stone dragon’s head sat on top of the desk inside Acnologia’s study, pleasant smelling smoke floating out of it’s nostrils in tendrils. Acnologia twirled his hand around vaguely as he watched it, creating shapes in the smoke. He sipped at the wine he held in his other hand, head tilting slightly. The room was dark, the fire from the fireplace flickering light over Acnologia’s face in a menacing way.

“What are you planning, Igneel?” He murmured into the empty room, manipulating the smoke so it formed the other man’s face.  

He pushed to his feet, setting his wine glass down on the desk as he did so. He clenched his hand into a fist. The Igneel formed from smoke vanished, and Acnologia sneered at the place the image had been. Shaking his head, the man strode over to the fireplace, now staring into the smoldering embers.

“I’ve spent too long working for this for you to ruin it.” He said into the flames, as if talking to Igneel himself. “I’ve finally got that Heartfilia girl, I have control over her old fortune and I’ve got too many important people on my side.”

Acnologia reached toward the mantle above the fireplace, grabbing a rose from the ceramic vase sitting there. He brushed his fingers over the petals, eyes narrowing. What the hell was Igneel trying to pull? Why had he gone so quiet? Stopped with his prodding? Acnologia needed to know, dammit. He couldn’t allow this plan to fall apart after working so long and so hard for it to get this far.

He knelt down, dropping the rose into the fire. As the flames took it, he smirked at the colorful smoke and waved his hand slowly, murmuring under his breath. Slowly, the smoke burning off the rose slowly formed into a small dragon, flying in circles inside the fireplace.

“Go and listen.” Acnologia breathed out. “Go discover Igneel’s plan, learn for me then return.”

The smoke dragon gave a roar, quiet but powerful, and the smoke disappeared. Acnologia smirked, eyes dark as he straightened back up.

Igneel would not win this.

 

* * *

Lucy had been swaying in and out of a half sleep, not quite unconscious but not fully aware. The bed was smaller than she was used to, a little creaky and older than she was used to. The too firm mattress was doing nothing to help her aching muscles and the stiffness in her joints only made it more difficult to find a comfortable position. But, the blanket was warm and soft, and the pillow under her head wasn’t flat or hard. So, it wasn’t all bad, she supposed.

Her eyes scrunched up when she heard a soft knocking, and she buried herself further under the blanket. The knocking only continued, and she sighed. Lucy threw the blanket off of her, swinging her legs off the bed so her bare feet could touch the ground. She stretched, biting her lip to keep from making a noise and disturbing Levy, who seemed to sleep just fine every night. She glanced around when that stupid, persistent knocking sounded again, and straightened right up in surprise.

The room had one window, between the two beds with the bureau underneath it. Pink hair and gold eyes stared back at her from that window with a bright smile, and Lucy wasn’t sure if she should be angry, scared or pleased. She glanced at Levy, making sure the girl was still asleep, then carefully climbed up on top of bureau. She pushed the window open, wincing when it squeaked. Once again, she chanced a look at Levy and relaxed a little when the other girl just shifted in her sleep.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, voice a low whisper. Natsu just smiled a little wider.

“Came to see you. The bruise is healing, is the salve working?” He answered, head tilting. Lucy nodded.

“Yeah, it is.” Her brows furrowed together and she shifted on the bureau. “Why did you come to see me?”

“Acnologia is asleep in his room. He’s not going to be mad at you for following me if he doesn’t know.”  Natsu’s eye glinted with that same mischief Lucy had seen when she met him, an almost childish excitement. Lucy blinked a few times, then a tiny smile tugged at her lips.

They both reached a hand out at the same time, and Lucy’s smile widened when those warm fingers wrapped around hers to help her climb out the window. Natsu’s other hand reached to touch her shoulder, keeping her steady as Lucy tried to quietly get out the window. He moved his hands to her waist and her own hands landed on his shoulders. He kept a firm grip on her as he brought her down to the ground, making sure she had her balance fully before releasing her.

“You good?” He asked, hands still hovering by her hips. Lucy nodded, hands tightening slightly on his shoulders and she met his eyes, still smiling.

“I’m good.” Lucy nodded once.

She could feel her heart racing, the excitement pulsing through her veins. She had never left her room in the middle of the night before, she’d never had anywhere to go. And if her father had ever caught her, acting so unlady-like, he’d have been furious. But this? This was entirely new and different and wonderful. She was running around at night in her pajamas and no shoes, a boy she barely knew taking her by the hand.

“Where are we going?” She asked after a moment of silence. Natsu grinned again, reaching to grab her hand so he could lead her.

“You’ll see.” He answered, that childish excitement still bubbling in his voice.

And the obscurity of it, the vague answer, it didn’t frighten Lucy like it probably should have. Instead, it made her own grin widen and the excitement pulsing through her increase.

Natsu led her across the grounds, very nearly running and never letting go of her hand. Lucy kept up with him easily, making sure to keep a firm grip on his hand as well. The grass was soft under her feet, and she couldn’t quite tell if it was damp or if it felt that way because it was cold.  God, had Lucy ever felt something so exhilarating? Had she ever done anything, simple as this was, that made her feel so unbelievably free? The night sky, dotted endlessly with stars, was infinite above her and the soft breeze was breathing life into her tired body. Natsu’s skin was warm against her own and his smile was brighter than the moon above them.

She’d deal with Acnologia every day if she could have this freedom every night.

Natsu kept going until he reached the library, and he nearly dragged Lucy up the stairs. He shot another grin over his shoulder at her before pressing his hand into that stone to open the doors. The library was dark, almost haunting in a way, as they walked in. Natsu held a hand up, letting a little fire ignite in his palm to light their way. Lucy gasped in mild amazement, staring at the fire and reaching tentatively toward it. Natsu’s grin softened a bit, and he offered his hand to her again, the one not holding the fire.

“Come on.” He said, voice quiet.

The two made it to the corner with the staircase, and Natsu helped guide Lucy up the stairs while carefully making sure he didn’t allow the fire too close to the wooden railings. Lucy could feel her heart fluttering in her chest the higher up they went, and her smile widened when Natsu passed right by the second floor and continued on up. He was bringing her to the third floor? What kind of trouble would he get in if he was caught? But, then again, something told Lucy that he didn’t care.

There was a large door at the top of the stairs. That same, smooth black stone as the stairs out front. Dragons were carved on the front of the door, three of them entwined together.The dim, flickering light from the fire in Natsu’s hand danced over the carvings, making them seem almost alive, and Lucy stepped forward to brush her fingertips over the dragon in the middle. Natsu moved up to her side, reaching to point at the odd carvings on the door.

“Those are runes.” He said, trailing over the line of carvings. Lucy nodded, examining them. “Magic runes. It’s actually a warding spell. It makes it so only people with magic can open the doors.”

“Oh wow. Just those carvings can keep everyone else from getting in?” Lucy asked, awed. Natsu nodded, turning his head to smile at her.

“But there’s a loophole.” He said, eyes narrowing in that mischievous way Lucy had come to expect. Lucy grinned right back at him. “It makes it so you can’t open the door, but it doesn’t do anything about you coming inside once I open it.”

Natsu gently nudged Lucy back, then returned his attention to the door. His free hand rested against the center circle on the door, the largest area on the stone with nothing carved into it. He inhaled slowly, eyes closing, and Lucy could see the stone glowing orange, like Natsu was pushing fire right against it. She stared in amazement as those dragons began to shift, moving away from the center of the door. The doors slowly pushed open, away from them, and Natsu once again looked back at Lucy, smiling brightly as he gauged her reaction. Then, he gestured toward the room with his head.

“Come on.” 


	6. Does this qualify as a date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE : This fic has been revamped and updated, it is no longer a slave AU. The plot itself hasn't changed, really, but I hope you go reread it, anyway.

The third floor was messier than the other two floors, books spread out on counters and tables. There didn’t seem to be a system to how they were placed on the shelves, some of them with the spine not facing outside. The chandelier looked like the ones downstairs, but this one seemed to be made of that black stone instead of glass. 

Natsu stepped further into the room, waving his hand and allowing little bursts of fire to shoot off and light up the candles sitting on dragon claw stands. It didn’t brighten the room like the chandelier would have, not at all, but it made it so the two could see. The dark green carpet on the floor was plush, and Lucy’s bare feet left little indents as she stepped slowly into the large room. She turned in a slow circle, taking everything in, and Natsu watched her as she did so.

There was something entrancing about it, something so amazing about the fascinated wonder in her eyes as she spun slowly to look at everything. She seemed to glow, and Natsu was confused by it. Was it just the flames from the candles reflecting around her? Or was he just going insane? That smile pulled over her face, her entire face brightening even more than it was before.  

“Natsu….this is beautiful…” Lucy breathed out finally, and Natsu felt the grin breaking across his face.

“Yeah, some of the stuff up here is older than the building.” He answered after giving a slightly awkward cough, forcing himself to finally look away.

“My dad never would have let me even touch books like this, let alone read them.” Lucy sighed, almost wistfully, and stepped toward one of the shelves.

The shelves were carved from the same dark wood as the ones on the first and second floor, though these ones seemed to be covered in a layer of dust. Lucy brushed her fingers over the books on the shelf, barely touching, and she used her other hand to brush her hair out of her face so she could get a better look. Natsu stepped up behind her slowly, watching her intently, as if gauging her reaction. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, almost as if he were pressed right against her back. Lucy bit at her bottom lip when Natsu lifted his hand to rest on the same book she was touching.

“That one has to do with fire magic.” He said into her ear, guiding her fingers over the golden flames on the old tome.

“Are you always so warm?” Lucy asked after a moment, turning her head towards his. She could feel her heart racing, could feel Natsu’s breath on her lips.

“Yeah.” He answered, not moving. “It’s a side effect of magic. Exposure to a certain type of magic alters the body after a while. I’m always warm, Gray is always cold, my little brother Sting kind of glows in the dark.”

“That’s amazing….” Lucy mused quietly, leaning back into that firm heat behind her. Natsu breathed out a quiet laugh.

“Rogue has a hard time sleeping because of it.” He answered, not turning his head away from her and smiling a little more as Lucy leaned into him. “Says he does, at least, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep without Sting there.”

The two fell into silence again, and Lucy let her eyes slip closed. She could feel Natsu’s hand still resting on hers, his thumb absently rubbing over her skin. His fingers were calloused, but it felt nice anyway. Lucy’s heart was pounding loud but steady, echoing in her ears. She opened her eyes when that hand moved to her shoulder, and she looked at Natsu again. Their faces were still close, those gold eyes still watching her intently.

“You okay?” he asked quietly. “Your heart is going nuts.”

Lucy’s eyes widened, and she gaped at Natsu. How could he hear her heart? Surely it wasn’t beating that loudly. The worry in those bright eyes only grew and he pulled away slightly, turning them so they were facing each other.

“Lucy…?” He ventured, hands hovering like he didn’t know what to do with them.

“How did you hear my heartbeat?” She asked, eyes still wide. After the realization hit Natsu, the relief washed over him and his hands fell back down to his sides.

“Magic.” he answered simply, that tiny smile coming back. Lucy gaped. “It’s a spell, really old magic. We’re called ‘Dragon Slayers’ for a reason.”

He took her hand again, leading her to the empty center of the room and settling on the ground. Lucy sat on her calves in front of him, smoothing down the silky material of her pajama shorts.

“You really fight dragons?” Lucy asked, obviously not believing it. Natsu shook his head.

“Nah, we don’t. Dragons have been gone for decades. “ He answered. “But the first generation did. To fight dragons, they learned how to adapt like dragons. Remember I said constant exposure to magic alters the body?” He asked, and Lucy nodded.

“Well, we learn the same magic that dragons used. So it alters the body to be more like a dragon. I can eat fire, I have enhanced senses. My skin actually sort of works like armor, I’m more resistant to attacks. It’s pretty cool.” His head cocked to the side as he spoke, and Lucy felt her lips pulling into an awed smile.

“How did your ancestor’s learn to use the same magic a dragon used? Did an actual dragon teach them?” Lucy asked, her brows furrowed. Natsu shook his head, still smiling.

The stories had always been just a little fascinating to him, though after learning them once he lost interest. But Lucy seemed eager to learn, eyes wide and bright and the tiredness gone from her gaze. Natsu wanted to feed that hunger, teach her what he knew. It was obvious to him that she liked to learn, and if he could help with that then he definitely would.

“No. No, it was my ancestor Zeref Dragneel and one of Gajeel and Rogue’s ancestor’s named Raios.” He started, shifting slightly. “Zeref had this girl he was in love with, Mavis Vermillion. And back then, dragons were all over the place.”

Lucy rearranged on the ground so she was more comfortable, eyes never straying from Natsu’s face as he spoke. It just seemed to spur him on, though. Made him more eager to share the story, share his history. Natsu brushed a hand through his hair, leaning back on his other hand.

“So Zeref was already a wizard. He had been learning magic for a long time.” Natsu continued. “And the details are pretty fuzzy, but a dragon caused Mavis’ death, and Zeref was so enraged that he spent years studying dragons and the magic they used, and ended up learning how to use it himself. Convinced Raios and another one of my ancestors, Yuri Dreyar, to learn with him. Eventually, they’d gathered up an army worth of people to fight against the dragons.”

Lucy let out a little breath. Almost wistful. What would she do for that kind of devotion? To love someone so thoroughly? She bit at her bottom lip, and her eyes locked on to Natsu’s as the thoughts continued. That had always been another piece of her stories she loved. The romance, the utter devotion and adoration two characters would have for each other. Lucy had resigned herself to a fate of marrying for status or money, but she dreamed of finding someone to love so entirely.

Natsu’s face softened the longer he and Lucy just stared at each other, and he shifted closer to her. The amazement in her eyes was intoxicating, the absolute awe and fascination that fell over those pretty brown eyes made Natsu feel almost dizzy.

“What about you?” He asked quietly after a moment, head tilting, and Lucy seemed to be pulled out of whatever hazy thought she was lost in. She blinked, straightening a little.

“What do you mean?” She asked, brows furrowing. She couldn’t use any sort of magic, she had no history of war or magical abilities. Natsu smiled again.

“What’s your history, then? How’d you end up as you?” Natsu clarified, head cocking to the side. Lucy blinked a few more times, then shrugged and dipped her head a bit bashfully.

“My parents both came from poor families. “ She started, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “They fell in love, and I was born a little after my dad started building a coal mining business. He earned millions and I ended up raised like some sort of heiress.”

Lucy paused, sadness darkening her eyes and she reached to wrap her hand around her necklace again. Natsu stayed quiet, watching her carefully, and he moved a little closer again to place his hand over the one Lucy still had on the floor. Lucy’s head lifted to look at him, surprise added into the deep sorrow that hadn’t left her eyes.

“You don’t have to tell me, you know?” Natsu told her, voice quiet and gentle. A barely there smile touched Lucy’s lips and she dropped her gaze again.

“My mom passed away when I was little. She was sick. And my father...changed. He became distant. Cold. “ she sighed, hand tightening around the charm so harshly that it dug into her palm. “When his business went under, he contacted Acnologia. Offered me as a maid or whatever and they sent him my paycheck.”

Natsu’s eyes widened, and he stared at Lucy. That was the deal they had settled with? That’s what his father wasn’t telling him? A flash of anger surged through him for a moment before he shook it away, shifting himself closer to Lucy and reaching toward her. He let his fingers linger by her face until she looked up with wide, watery eyes. He offered her a small smile and he brushed his hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

“Are you at least enjoying it here?” He asked. “I mean, aside from Acnologia? Trust me, none of us like him here.”

Lucy let out a hum that might have been a laugh, head tilting to the side. She wiped the wetness from her eyes, straightening up a little bit.

“I like it here. I’ve never really...had friends before.” She admitted, biting at her bottom lip. Natsu grinned.

“Well you’ve got us, now.” He said, a hint of finality to his tone.

Lucy felt warmth bubble low in her stomach, felt the heat rise up until her cheeks flushed. A smile she couldn’t control pulled over his face and she suddenly felt like she was floating. Like she was suspended in time and space, locked into this small moment with Natsu. She didn’t reply for a long while, then reached to brush Natsu’s hair off of his forehead, too, like he had done to her.

“Yeah. I do.” 


End file.
